MDP stronger, more inclusive after Nasheed quitting, says pres

Ruling MDP has been affected by the departure of parliament speaker Mohamed Nasheed, but the party's governance and functioning has since become stronger and more inclusive, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said on Wednesday.

In an exclusive interview with Atoll Times' sister publication Dhauru, President Solih said that the departure of any senior leader will have its consequences to the party. Similar effects were observed when other high-ranking officials quit the party, he added.

"President Nasheed's departure will have had an impact. Such impacts were observed on the day Ibra [former MDP President Ibrahim Ismail] and [former MDP President Dr Mohammed] Munawwar left us," the president said.

"However, it slowly patched up. We've just held on as the strongest, strongest party."

The president said that the MDP is now stronger than ever after Nasheed, who was also the president of the MDP, quit in June. 

“Overall, as I would say, there have been positive changes in the internal governance system since then,” he said.

"Of course, the party's running has since become [stronger]. It's more inclusive now."

After Nasheed's defeat to President Solih in the January primary to elect the MDP presidential candidate, Nasheed formed a separate faction within MDP, and later quit the party to found The Democrats.